Neverending Hallways
by Nevany
Summary: A story featuring my OC, Eris Maladict. This is a prompt to a possible series that will involve the KHR cast.


A short story about my OC, Eris Maladict. And a short appearance by Maken Furi.

This takes place in the Katekyou Hitman Reborn world, but there's not much happening in this besides character depth.

_Disclaimer: All mine ^^_

_The hallway was dim__ lit and cold._

_And quiet. Oh so quiet._

_The silence hurt her ears, but she didn't say anything._

_She couldn't._

Walking along silently, her shoes barely made a sound as they stepped on the hardwood floor. Polished to and beyond perfection, if she had anything to say about it.  
It was habit really, walking through here as quietly as possible.  
Like a child's game, but one that had no prize if you won and a severe punishment if lost.

Just remembering the warnings had shivers run up her spine, her mother's voice, colder than the hallway she now walked down, demanding she learn the rules. And learn them well.  
Failure would not be accepted. Not that it was ever an option.  
It was like cake or death, except there was no cake. Just death and long, dark hallways with seemingly no end.

She hated it. The hallway, her parents, the way no amount of light would ever be enough in here.  
There was nothing fair about any of it. Nothing reasonable.  
She was just expected to do as she was told. No words would be said against it and no actions would be rebellious.

_She couldn't feel anything._

_No__ matter how hard she tried._

_If she tried that is._

_If she was allowed to._

Her fingers ran along the soft wallpaper, recalling the one time her urges got the best of her.  
She had to see what colour it was, the Persian pattern only distinguishable by touch.  
She'd pulled out her dagger, taking it to where wallpaper met floor and carefully picked at it.  
The footsteps had barely registered before her head met the wall, father displeased by her lack of professionalism for the sake of vandalism.

She'd received punishment of course, the slim, white scar running across the pads of her finger tips the sole reminder of that afternoon, as her memory of it long forgotten.  
Looking up and down the hallway, she realized that she could do it now. There was no one here. And even if someone did come by, they'd only give her an odd look.  
Still, she didn't need to. Not any more.

The whole reason behind doing it was no longer there.  
She didn't feel the need to rebel, even if it had been by breaking rules her parents had failed to lay down beforehand.  
With a small smile, her fingers fall from the wall.  
Lets leave some mystery to this place, she thought, continuing her quiet walk.

_She'd counted the doors._

_Now passing the 6__th__, that left two more._

_Light flooded the hallway, blinding her before it all went dark again._

_She'd wake up some hours later in her own room with a headache._

_  
_The 7th door now stood on her right, open and revealing an empty room.  
The next one had been boarded up some time ago and opened this morning, the wood splinters decorating the floor. A room full of burnt books, the scorch marks on the walls years old. Her sister's work.

She could see it clearly now. What she'd been aiming for, all those years.  
Her brother had told her of it one night, some years before their sister was born.  
A window, the only one in the entire manor.

She had to see it, to see the world outside without the cover of night.  
Walking to the end of the hallway, she couldn't help but grin, reaching a hand out and touching the window.  
The hills looked a little off, but the sky was a nice blue colour.  
She should have realized back then. There was never any light at the end of the hallway.

_It was always dark._

_Whether a job or at home._

_There's was no difference between work or private matters._

_Didn't father always say to keep them separated?_

_But no one said anything about it._

_No one noticed the darkness everywhere they went._

_So it was right? It was supposed to be like this?_

_She felt claustrophobic, like the walls were closing in, the hall getting longer and the darkness increasing._

_She needed the light. The change._

_She needed to leave._

"Eris. We found their bodies." Maken's footsteps echoed loudly as he walked towards her, making her wonder briefly if he ever played the 'Quiet game' "I don't think they even knew that they died. Quick and painless."  
"Hm." She gave him a small nod, she'd expected as much "He likes to be efficient and get things over with. Always planning something, that guy."  
Her brother could be a real piece of work when he wanted to be.  
Her cousin nodded, tilting his head ever so as his eyes caught what she'd been looking at "That's bad humor, painting a window in a place like this."  
"Typical Fuori."  
"Mhm."  
With one final glance at the painting, she turned on her heel, Maken following suit "Ah well, better go see my folks."  
"Doubt you'll recognize them though."

She'd gotten her change, yet still after all those years, she'd returned to the darkness, even if it was to say goodbye.  
Maybe they'd been right after all.  
_We were born in the darkness and to the darkness we shall one day return.  
That's the Fuori way. That's your way._


End file.
